Annecy Travel Guide: The Lake, the Old Town and the Alps
Annecy sits at the northern end of an Alpine lake clear enough to see the bottom from a boat, with a canal-threaded old town behind it and mountains rising straight off the far shore. It is small — you can walk the centre in an hour — which makes it an easy base rather than a destination that demands a week. Most people come for the lake in summer; the better argument is the shoulder season, when the water is still swimmable and the terraces are not full. These guides cover the lake, the town and the mountains above it.
Start here
- Annecy Travel Guide to the Charming Canal Town
- A 2-Day Itinerary: Old Town, Lake and Mountain Views
- The Best Time to Visit (And When the Lake Turns Turquoise)
Where to stay
On and around the lake
- Lake Boat Tours: The Alps From the Water
- Cycling the Full Loop, Rated
- The Best Swimming Spots on Lake Annecy
- Paragliding: Booking Your First Tandem Flight
Into the mountains
- The Best Hiking Trails Above Annecy
- Annecy in Winter: Day Trips to the Ski Slopes
- Day Trips: Chamonix, Mont Blanc and Beyond